


An academic interest

by salable_mystic



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-10-12
Updated: 2003-10-12
Packaged: 2017-10-03 23:47:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salable_mystic/pseuds/salable_mystic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for a "second person" challenge. And, you know, since it was written in 2003 - now totally and hopelessly alternate universe territory.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An academic interest

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer:  
> The world of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. I am just borrowing the characters for this poor attempt at fanfic, and I am definitely not making any money from this story.
> 
> Author's note:  
> This is an answer to Tegan's "2nd person challenge" at WIKTT. If you review, feel free to be critical and tell me what I did wrong (besides arbitrary and ample use of commas) - English is not my native language.

You couldn't believe your eyes.

Well, not at first anyway, when you saw her walk through those doors once more after she had been away for such a long time. Oh, of course you knew who she was, for she had spent many hours amongst you and your brethren when growing into the woman she had now become. But then she had left, off to some place even more fancy than the one you called your home. University or some such. But now she was back. For research purposes, apparently. And she had chosen you to be its object. Something about safety and secrecy or some such. Since you were updated so frequently in reality anyway. Used as you were to magic, having a spell like that performed on yourself had definitely felt - strange. You had felt yourself changing, afterwards. Even now, some parts of you did change from time to time, automatically updating themselves. Apparently the combination of potion and charm worked the way it was supposed to, for she always looked pleased when she gazed at you now.

Though, come to think of it, that might have more to do with Him than with your changes. Him you also knew well, even better than her. For he had been here longer, and often came to seek shelter in your quiet abode. He was interesting to watch, for once one managed to penetrate his veneer of ice he offered a myriad of expressions to one's observation. And anyway, he was a sad and lonely creature - all the psychology books agreed on that and if anyone knew about those things it had to be them, right?

So you watched first him, then her, and then the two of them together. It was interesting to observe the changes in their relationship: Nothing but icy coldness in the beginning, when he had delighted in sneering at her and taking points from her for sometimes real and oft-times imagined offences. At some point, however, she had stopped to simply fear him and you had sometimes found her watching him with an almost thoughtful air. Though she always averted her face when he happened to notice her perusal. He, in turn, had started to watch her as well. Started to hesitate slightly before calling her out and sending her back to her house with points taken. One night, after they'd shared some quite civil conversations between the two of them over the previous weeks, she had fallen asleep while studying late for her NEWTs and he had paused at her side and smoothed her hair from her face, gazing at her for a little while and sighing before he drew himself together and woke her with a barked 'Miss Granger!' and a mighty sneer. He had been truly evil to her that night, and she had fled in tears.

You had not seen her for a long time afterwards, for that incident had occurred shortly before her final exams. Grim times had followed those exams, a dark lord had finally come out of hiding and shown his face to the world only to, in the end, be defeated.

He, however, had survived those dark times and - surprising most - chosen to stay in the position he had held for so many years. You were not surprised, though. He was a scholar at heart and his position here suited him, if not perfectly, then at least adequately.

Did he change, after the war? Not much. He had become quieter and more reclusive - yes, even more reclusive than before. Calmer, neater, healthier maybe. But more lost too, for a major purpose had gone from his life.

And then she had come back, armed with research that was seemingly innocent and off little practical use, but in reality quite a risky undertaking. Born of an academic fancy of hers and carrying the possibility of an armload of mischief and trouble. And research that needed a potion ingredient. With which she only dared trust him, for she knew he was not one to be tempted by fame and power. He had learned his lesson regarding that subject, and he had learned it well.

So they had laboured together and developed the potion and the spell. With success. Outstanding success, as you could prove.

But, what a mighty row they had had, once they were sure their project was successful. Scared of the consequences yet enthralled by their collective success. Unsure of what path to take. Something had had to give, then, and the attraction the psychology books had proclaimed to have exist between them for a long time had been the point that gave. The divination books had called it fated, of course, and that nothing could be done to help them, but you had been worried nevertheless. Like master like servant - and look who had ordered the motley lot them! Pshaw. Hence, what did *they* know.

So, you had worried about those two who had grown so close and seemed to be so well suited for each other - and been quite glad when they finally came back to the library together and calmly decided to destroy their research, so that no ill could come of it accidentally. Even if it that decision now marked you as an outcast, a loner amongst your kind.

She had put you back in your accustomed place, almost tearful with the resolve to undo all other evidence of her work. You had been sad, too, for you'd have liked to be her public proof of success. But, then He had stepped up behind her just *so* and taken her in his arms and murmured her name - her first name, not her formal one - and she had smiled at him and called him Severus and they had leaned closer and closer together and finally their lips had met - and it wasn't a sad occasion anymore. Rather more like a secret you shared between the three of you. Even if they weren't aware of it.

Yes, what did it matter that you were fated to be the only automatically self-updating book in all the magical world, always knowing the results of all plans and circumstances of all people mentioned within your pages, yet hidden between numerous different and unchanging edition of yourself, when you could claim that not only did "Hogwarts: a history" mention the marriage between Professor Snape and Hermione Granger, but that it had also seen it come about first hand and, one might say, had even been instrumental in its coming about?


End file.
